Thursday, September 06, 2012

What a bore these Grand Tours are - well, not this one. Contador finally nails it

Well, probably. After the slow grind that was Le Tour 2012 (yawn) we have La Vuelta. And it's all over the place. Attacking riding that entertains, dramatic chases that narrow gaps or explode the field and now a desperate throw of the dice that pays off. Just like the good old days. And the Giro wasn't too bad either. 

Contador Fights Back Tears After Turning Vuelta On Its Head | Cyclingnews.com
“We didn’t say anything on the radios because a lot of them are pirated by the other teams, but I told them to go for it on the front. “I have to thank [Astana rider and former teammate] Paolo Tiralongo, because he worked hard for me in the break.”

Contador tackled most of the 17km-long final climb to Fuente Dé alone after Tiralongo was unable to follow his tempo. “I had thought of attacking three kilometres from the line, but from never so far out,” Contador said. “I kept on eating and drinking because I was worried I would blow. I knew if I blew I would lose the second place overall.”

“It was pure instinct, nothing calculated. I’m not in top form, but I really wanted to do it.”

He may have doped, intentionally or otherwise - and I do hope he's clean today - but Contador has certainly stamped his name all over the Grand Tour record books. (Presuming he doesn't get knocked off his perch in the few days left, of course.) Stay clean, Alberto, Le Tour needs you!